Ama no Kagerou
by ProfessionallyCrazedTrigunFan
Summary: In the game of deception, all's fair in love and blackmail. [NaruHina LeeTen NejiSakuSasu so far.][Chapter 6 Uploaded]
1. Waking Up

**Author's Note: **Well, I've decided to try my hand at a Naruto fic. It's slightly AU, as Sasuke isn't obsessed with killing his brother and some characters may be a little OOC. This story does not follow the storyline, and takes place when most of the characters are 17-18ish.

**Disclaimer:** I dun own Naruto, its characters, or anything remotely related to it. Except several manga which are carefully hoarded in a glass, shrined case.

**Pairings:** LeexTenxNejixSakuxSasu NaruxHina ShikaxIno etc...

**Ama No Kagerou**

_**The Shimmer of Heaven**_

**Chapter 1 - Waking Up**

_'Damn them. Damn them both_.' A raging Lord Hyuuga vented his fury on a tree, hurling shuriken and kunai knives at it blindly. He hadn't even seen it coming. _Thunk._ Why should he have? He was _the_ Hyuuga Neji, elite prodigial genius of Konoha. Maybe he would have expected this from Uchiha, but from **Lee**? His own damn teammate of 6 years and classmate for longer. Neji was beyond livid.

He remembered the day they'd come home from that "secret" mission to who-knows-where. They'd both been fidgety and uneasy, but they had brushed that off by saying that they'd been ambushed by several bands of foreign ninjas the whole way home. And like the moron that he was, he'd believed it. They'd made a fool of him and he wasn't in a forgiving mood.

"..ji?"

He didn't turn around. He didn't want to see her face right now because he was imagining it on the tree at which he was aiming. "Neji, can we talk?" He ignored her. _Thunk. _"Neji...I'm really sorry about this whole thing. But I think...I think maybe we should break up..." **_Thud._** Bullseye. He whirled around to face her, for once dropping his emotionless facade and allowed her to see the full force of his anger. "**Break up?**" He snarled at her. She took a step beck from him. "Don't you think it's a little _late_ to be breaking up? You ended this relationship when you decided that Lee would make a better lover and 'forgot' to inform me. Screw you, I don't want to see your face, you slut!" And with that he resumed hurling any sharp object within his reach.

Tenten blanched as the blood drained from her face. "So it's over then? Just like that?" He didn't turn to look at her. "I thought that was stupidly obvious. Why do you sound surprised? This is your doing. Not mine." "But...but I thought we could work things out. Still be friends!" _Thud._ "Yeah? Well, you thought wrong." "But we're still a team, right?" Tenten took a tentative step toward him, reaching out to touch his shoulder, but froze at the bitter contempt in his voice. "What team? You obviously don't need me to be a team. So go ahead. You and Lee go get all cozy and be all 'team-y' together."

Neji stalked off, leaving Tenten to fall to her knees and allow her bitter tears to flow. How could everything have gone so wrong? She'd never meant to feel anything for Lee, hell, she'd never even considered it. But Neji was wrong about one thing. He suspected that they'd fallen in love while on assignment, but the truth was that they were on assignment _because_ they'd fallen in love.

Tenten knew in her heart that Neji would never understand. He was too obstinate and proud. He wore his damned pride like a shield, using it to hide behind from the rest of the world. She had always wondered if Neji was afraid. Afraid to let someone in, never letting his feelings show for fear he would be hurt. ...Or maybe he really was emotionless. Maybe he didn't care. Maybe he didn't even really care that she and Lee were together. Maybe the only reason he was angry in the first place was because she'd damaged his stupid enormous ego.

'_Maybe...maybe he never even really loved me. But I guess it doesn't matter now. I have Lee.'_

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Yo!" _Thud._ Well, that was Naruto for you. Falling out of trees, on a regular basis. And, also on a regular basis, the same response was illicited. From Sasuke, a disgusted snort and an eye-rolling. From Sakura, the usual lecture in shrieking tones and several blows to the head.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Guess what! You'll never believe it, na na na na na na!" Naruto danced around like a drunken monkey while cackling merrily. Surprisingly, Sasuke actually replied. "Let me guess. You've decided that being a ninja isn't for you and you've decided to move far far away to become a monk and shut yourself in a monastery for the rest of your life."

His teammates blinked. It was the weirdest sentence he'd ever uttered in their presence.

Naruto recovered quickly and continued his mad dancing. "Close. But no. That Hyuuga guy got dumped! Ha ha ha!" Once again, Sasuke was speechless. But this time for an entirely different reason. Sakura's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Are you serious? Tenten dumped Neji?" Naruto struck a "macho" pose and grinned. "Yep. I heard she dumped him for Rock Lee.You know, Dog Brow? Heh, she must be on something."

Upon hearing that, even Sasuke was surprised. He remembered the day when Lee had made pledges of undying love to his pink-haired teammate, and had even vowed to protect her with his life. He'd been under the impression that Lee had taken these vows very seriously, as he was always popping up at the oddest times just to glomp Sakura by way of greeting. He'd half expected Sakura to be upset.

Sakura, however, wasn't quite upset, but did look pensive. She was thinking, not about Rock Lee, but about Hyuuga Neji. What a blow to the ego that must be, to lose a girl to an idiot like that. Sure, Lee's taijutsu skills were quite impressive, but Neji's prestigous family background and bloodline were by far the better choice, if one was to go by skills alone.

Not to mention that Neji far outranked Lee in the looks department. Sure, he was silent most of the time, and was overbearing and pretentious and egomaniacal, but Lee's resemblence to Master Gai was just plain creepy. Not forgetting that fact that Lee could be suffocating in his affections, and downright annoying.

No, despite the fact that she could see through any illusion or decipher any code in an instant, Sakura could not for the life of her figure out why Tenten preferred Rock Lee over Hyuuga Neji. Naruto, meanwhile, had no trouble believing it. He was bouncing around like a hyper baboon, gloating at the top of his lungs.

Sakura, lost in thought, screeched in surprise when Naruto loudly announced in her face, "Hey, since Dog Brow's gotta girlfriend now, does that mean I have a chance with you, Sakura?" His face radiated pure joy and hope. All to be dashed by a nasty right hook to the face. "NO." Inner Sakura cheering her on with chants of "Hell no!"

"Hpmh."

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"He's such a jerk, Lee!" _Thud._ A sweat drop rolled down the side of Lee's head as his girlfriend's fist landed in the training dummy's "face". "Eh heh...yeah." Tenten growled and landed another blow. "I mean, all he cares about is his stupid reputation. I bet he doesn't even care that we broke up, only that it makes him look bad. Well, I hope everyone laughs at him!" _Thud. _

"Heh heh, I'm glad to see that you're over him, but I still think we should try to talk to him again. I will not be satisfied until he grants us his blessing!" The "flames of youth" (as Gai-sensei called it) were burning in Lee's eyes. "In fact, by the time I'm finished talking with him , he'll be begging to give you away at our wedding! Yes, and Gai-sensei shall be my best man! And the Hokage will wed us, and after we can smush cake in each other's faces! Ooh, it'll be white of course, with green flowers all over it! And green letters! And green decorations. And..gasp! I must wear a green tuxedo! And we'll require all the quests to wear green..."

Tenten twitched. As much as she loved Lee, he was still a hopeless moron. "Lee, I don't think Neji will forgive us, much less grant us his blessing. And who said anything about walking down the isle? YOU HAVEN'T EVEN PROPOSED!"

Lee gasped. "You're right! Forgive my rudeness, love, but I must go find the perfect engagement ring to surprise you with! But don't tell, I don't want to ruin the surprise for you!" And with that, he went skipping merrily down the street, bellowing out exactly how, when, and where he was going to propose to her.

Tenten sighed. She had questioned her own sanity millions of times since this whole affair began, and she still couldn't find an answer. A small part of her heart still cried out for Neji. But she quashed that part and refused to acknowledge it. She had turned to Lee because Lee would go out of his way to make her happy and give her the world. Neji had pushed her aside to fufill his own dreams. She was little more than a conquest, a distraction to him.

But for now it didn't matter. For now she would let herself float along in Lee's river of insane love. For now.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**End of chapter 1. It's a tad short, but I'd like to see how it does before I continue. Review or else I'll stick you in a room with Lee and Gai who've just eaten tons upon tons of sugar. Mwa ha ha. Flames and criticism accepted as long as I don't have to get an Idiot translation device to read it. Thankies. n.n **


	2. Do Me A Favor

**Author's Note: **Ok. I've decided I'm writing this story reviews or no reviews. To me, this is one of those stories that drives you insane if you don't write it. So yeah. Unfortunately for you and myself, I am both a SasuSaku fan and a NejiSaku fan. So no, I don't know how it's going to turn out yet, seeing as I swing between the two pairings constantly. It's like moodswings or something. Heck, they might all end up alone. Who knows. Anyway. But NaruHina is a definite pairing and I'm thinking a slight TemaShikaIno triangle too. I haven't decided though, so you let me know. Use your magnificent powers as a reviewer, you who can make or break a writer. Uh...yeah.

By the way, I'm planning on writing at LEAST 15 chapters for this story. But there will probably be more. I've actually already started writing chapter 5. n.n But yeah. Don't expect this to be a short cutesy-putesy little fic. It will get darker and more serious as it goes on, but I'll try to inject some comedic relief.

**Pairings:** LeexTenxNejixSakuxSasu NaruxHina Possible TemaxShikaxIno etc...

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Naruto. Don't own any of the characters. Don't own scripts, rights, voice actors' contracts or anything affiliated with it. These things are all on my Christmas list.

**Ama no Kagerou**

_**The Shimmer of Heaven**_

**Chapter 2 - Do Me A Favor**

**Neji's POV**

Traitors. Liars. Fools.

What other words can I use to describe my so-called "best friends" who betrayed me with each other? How can I possibly trust these two backstabbers with my life, when I obviously can't trust them with my heart? I foolishly allowed myself to become vulnerable around them. Never again. Not with them, not with any human being. Humans are so fickle, are they not? And my former teammates are prime examples of human depravity.

Even after we attained the rank of jônin we still continued to act as a team. It had always been that way and we didn't see the need for things to change. Tenten...I really did love her. But I don't know anymore. Fool that I was, I fell into that tangled web of false promises and meaningless affection. I let myself become weak. Vulnerable. Can I really consider any form alliance with them for this?

Love. Hmph. A fool's game. For the weak and needy. I thought they were above that. Clearly not. Clearly not above the petty amusements of the flesh. But there is always a price to pay for happiness. I can see it in their eyes. They feel "guilty" for shoving a knife in my back and then twisting it. They feel "remorse" for their "unavoidable" circumstance. But they won't give it up.

They think their stammered apologies are enough? Hardly. That will never suffice. I demand retribution. Let me twist the knives in their backs. I believe it's been referred to as "A Man's Revenge". Give it any name. They think what they're feeling now is overwhelming? Let them know the meaning of "pain". Let me show them what it is to suffer agonizing torture, knowing that they cannot let go.

Do they believe this whole incident is tearing me to shreds inside? Hardly. I need neither them nor anyone else. Once alone, always alone. This is just another test of the strength of my will. As a former devout fatalist I say that my destiny will not break me. I will not be dragged under by the scum that infests this filthy village.

**Lee's POV**

This is wrong. Neji's my best friend! But I couldn't sit there anymore and let the injustice pass me by. I've always loved Tenten but I never told her because I had always known that she was meant for Neji. But after watching him push her farther and farther away, I knew that I was wrong. I would always walk in on her crying, and it was always over him.

What kind of boyfriend makes his girlfriend cry without even trying? I know Neji's a good guy, he just has no idea how to handle the fairer sex. Unlike I, Rock Lee, who would give the whole world to them if it were possible! And so I took matters into my own hands. I realize that this may have upset Neji a teensy bit, but surely he'll realize that I've done him a great favor that benefits our whole team?

Obviously not, judging from the reaction I got when I told him this.

**Normal POV**

Lee stood stock still as he stood facing down his now former best friend and team mate. The Hyuuga's gaze burned into him, searing his insides and turning them to jelly. Sweat rolled down his face in bullets, making him look like he'd run 500 laps around Konoha, even though he'd only woken up 30 minutes ago. If Neji was being friendly, he certainly wasn't showing it.

"Eh heh...heh...hey,uh...You wanna spar?"

No answer.

"C'mon Neji, don't you think you're overreacting a little bit?"

Neji's right eye twitched slightly. He was pissed. Lee gulped, smiling nervously. Then, unfortunately, he got an idea. He flashed his "million dollar" smile. A very scary sight indeed. Especially when there was an extremely pissed off ex-boyfriend standing on the other side of the clearing trying to kill him with a highly potent death glare. With the vague notion that he was somehow doomed, Lee began his speech.

"In all actuality Neji, I've done you a great favor. When you and Ten-chan-" Yeah. "were together you were always complaining that you never had any time to train, right? And you always said that when you were together you never had any time to yourself, correct? Well, this way you're happier because you've got time to yourself to train, and Ten-chan and I are happier because we have each other! So really, there's nothing to be upset about in the first place! See?"

Convinced that his logic was faultless, Lee stood back with his arms folded across his chest, waiting for his magical speech to take effect. It took effect alright, but not the one Lee wanted. There was definitely some kind of tick with Neji's eye. Lee thought absentmindedly that he should get it looked at.

The Hyuuga was now wearing a very nasty expression on his face, something that looked very close to hatred. He was an inch away from flaying Lee to within an inch of his life. But, being who he was, he would rather wear Lee's underwear and cut his hair like Gai-sensei's before he lost control. So instead he settled for scaring him shitless.

Very subtly he cracked his knuckles, not to where Lee could see them, but where he could hear it plainly. Lee gulped. He was starting to think that maybe Neji hadn't really been swayed by his marvelous and well-thought out eloquent speech. Needless to say, if Byakuugan eyes could fry, Lee would be sunny-side up.

"I..think…I'm just gonna..go. Now. Later!" And in a whirlwind of sparkling colors, Lee was gone, leaving Lord Hyuuga to seeth.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

At the hospital meanwhile, Sakura was kept busy by a steady influx of patients demanding to see her. Being the Hokage's protege was a very demanding position and carried quite the reputation. But Sakura didn't mind all that much, seeing as how she got to use the VIP break room and bathroom at the hospital. Which was probably shallow thinking, but she didn't particularly care because the vending machines in the VIP break room carried whole slices of cake. Not the crappy kind either. And it was always fresh. Not to mention the bathroom had powder blue tile and had a jacuzzi tub built into the floor. Nope. Sakura didn't particularly care whether it was shallow thinking or not. Being Tsunade-sensei's apprentice definitely had its perks.

At the moment however, she was dealing with a particularly ornery patient who refused to allow her to seal his wounds with her chakra and insisted point blank that she use only a certain kind of ointment on them, as other oinments gave him "hives". Up to her wits end, Inner Sakura was ready to give the idiot more injuries to whine about, when a loud crash was heard down the hallway.

"Excuse me, sir. I need to go investigate this." She planted a falsely sweet smile on her face and exited the room, her facade dropping at once, giving way to annoyance and eye rolling. "Ugh. Natsumi, can you take this guy for me? I'm going to see what that noise was." Natsumi frowned. "Not the ointment guy!" Sakura snorted. "Yes. The ointment guy. You know, on second thought, forget the ointment. Put salt in his wounds." Natsumi laughed. "Yeah yeah, I'll handle him for ya." "Thanks."

Jogging down the hall, Sakura quickly discovered the source of the disturbance. She sighed. Why was she not surprised? There was Lee, upside down with his butt in the air, tangled around a destroyed counter table and a vase precariously balanced on his foot. Taking the vase and setting it in a Lee-free environment, Sakura returned to help disentangle him from the remains of the table. Lee wheezed and clutched his side.

"Lee. What in the world were you doing" She stood there with her hands on her hips, her foot tapping impatiently. "You know that's coming out of my paycheck, right?" He laughed weakly."Heh heh...sorry about that.I just came to talk to you." Sakura looked him up and down. "What the hell happened to you? You look like you've just run 500 laps around Konoha."

Poor Lee stammered and shuffled his feet. "I talked to Neji. He got kinda mad at me." Sakura sighed again and rolled her eyes. The boy was just too dense and naive for his own good. "Lee. I don't think he'll forgive you even if you manage to get the entire population of Konohagakure to acknowledge his masculine superiority and erect a gigantic statue of him in the middle of town. Face it Lee. He's probably never going to want to be within a 20 mile radius of you again."

The taijutsu master's head drooped in depression, and her eyes softened towards him. "Hey, don't worry about it. You've got Tenten, right? Why don't you go talk to her? She'll probably make you feel better." She smiled at him and Lee felt himself cheer up slightly. "Yeah, but I still feel awful." Suddenly his face brightened in that eerie way again, filled with hope much like Naruto's whenever he asked Sakura out. And Sakura had a very bad feeling about where this was going...

"Hey Sakura! Maybe _you_ could talk to Neji! You're smart, you can make him see reason!" Lee did a little diddy of joy in light of his "brilliant" idea. Sakura scoffed in disbelief. "Me. Are you **insane**! I don't even know the guy that well! I can imagine it now : 'Uh hi, yeah, I'm that chick from Team 7 back a few years ago. I'm here on behalf of Lee to rejoin you two in the bonds of blissful friendship.' Yeah. I can see _that_ conversation going well."

Lee pouted. "Pleeeeeeeaaaaaseeee! Pretty please with sugar on top and a cherry and rainbow sprinkles on top?" Damn he was annoying. And persistant. The kunoichi threw up her hands in exasperation. "Lee, this will **NEVER** work! He will not listen! Nothing I could say would ever change his mind. It's impossible. Just forget it and be happy with what you've got."

And even though Sakura knew she could argue and point out all logical reasons why this plan would never work, she knew she'd do it anyway. She owed Lee a lot. At the top of the list, her life. He had once promised her that he would protect her with his life, and even though he had Tenten now, Sakura knew that he would keep that promise anyway. She still remembered the incident in the Forest of Death, how he'd defended her and saved her life. He'd been one of the people that had inspired her to be stronger. And she owed him a lot for that. It was time she started giving something back to him.

Lee's whole body seemed to droop, like a wilting flower. Sakura was surprised. His friendship with Neji obviously meant a lot to him, and he was very remorseful about what he'd done. When he spoke again, even his voice seemed to have lost it's happiness. "Alright. Sorry to have wasted your time. See you later." He turned and slowly trekked down the long hallway. Sakura groaned mentally. The things she did for people, sometimes she just couldn't believe it.

"Lee, you idiot, get back here. Of course I'll talk to him." "REALLY?" His whole face lit up and he came charging toward her, prepared to give her a crushing bear hug. Sakura, however, wanted to keep her fully functioning lungs, and sidestepped his "attack". "Oof." Sakura giggled. He'd crashed into the wall."Really, oh really really? Thank you thank you thank you! This means so much to me, Sakura! You really are an angel."

Her cheeks turned slightly pink at the compliment. "Nah. Now get going. Tenten's probably waiting for you. And I'm supposed to meet Naruto at Ichiraku. Said he wanted to talk to me about something. See you later." After kissing her hand and thanking her profusely, Lee went skipping off down the hall. Leaving Sakura to wonder what in the world she'd gotten herself into.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Naruto sat waiting nervously on a stool in his favorite ramen restaurant, Ichiraku. Sakura had promised to meet him here for lunch. He sat twiddling his thumbs thinking about what he was going to ask her. He had no idea what he was doing. But if he had to ask anyone, it might as well be Sakura. She was the expert on all things female. And she was late, which was very unlike her. But she wasn't Kakashi-late, which really would have worried him.

He heard the bell above the door ring and hoped feverishly that it was her. And the fates must have been smiling on him, because she took a seat on the stool next to him. "So. Shall we talk first or eat first?" Naruto's stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly, giving the kunoichi her answer. She grinned and called over the waitress. They ordered one plain, two with miso for Naruto.

Finishing with a loud belch, Naruto sat back and patted his bulging belly. "Ah. That hit the spot." Sakura just shook her head. The knucklehead must live on ramen and sour milk alone. Gross. "So. You wanted to talk about something?" Naruto gulped and laughed nervously, rather like Lee. "Heh..uh..yeah. I figured I should talk to you about this, since you know about all this stuff and you're a girl and and and..." Sakura poked him with a chopstick. "Get to the point. I don't have all day."

"Well, see, I need some...uh..advice." She arched an eyebrow. "About?" The blonde fool looked like he was about to start hyperventilating. "...rl..." "I didn't hear a word you just said. Say it louder." Naruto's face was cherry red now, and he was ripping his napkins. "Um...uh..." "Spit it out, Naruto." "Ack, alright! I need advice about..about...GIRLS!"

As he shouted this last word, the entire restaurant went silent and stared. Naruto started sliding off the stool and under the bar counter. Sakura growled and yanked him back up by the collar. "Is that what this is about? What's so scary about girls? Eh?" The blonde shinobi just scratched the back of his head and giggled nervously. "Ugh. Naruto. I don't have time for stupid games. I've got stuff to do. So ask me whatever it is you wanted to ask or I'm leaving."

Naruto took a deep breath. Time to brace himself and be a man. Time to ask a girl for advice. "I uh...there's this girl I really like..." "Uh huh." "..and I want to ask her out." "I'm not seeing the problem yet." "Yeah, well...I wanna ask her out, but I don't want to be obnoxious about it and I don't know if she likes me back. I want you to help me woo her."

Sakura stared at him. Well. This was a change. "Okay...well, why don't you tell me who she is." He turned beet red again and sputtered. "..na...ga.." Sakura rolled her eyes. "I need more than two syllables, Naruto. Just take a deep breath and tell me her name. It's like diving in the river." "Yeah..okay...I'll try." He took several deep breaths, choking on most of them. "Hinata. I..like Hinata. But I'm not sure she likes me back and I need you to help me make her like me." His eyes were pleading, and Sakura could tell he was actually serious. But still.

What.A.Dunce. He didn't know if she liked him? Hinata had had a major crush on him for _how many **years** now?_ Sakura had to fight the urge to beat him over the head. But he looked so miserable sitting there with his head flopped on the table that she just couldn't keep up the impulse. Men sure were causing her a lot of stress lately. "Alright, Naruto. I'll help you. But this is going to take work. Are you willing to restrain yourself and not be obnoxious and gross?"

Naruto sat up straight, his misery being replaced by determination. "You know, I'm always competing to be the best. I want to be the Hokage. But fighting all the time with Sasuke and trying to one-up him all the time makes me think. I want to be strong, sure. But what am I gonna do with all that strength? And then, sometimes, when we're done with our sparring sections, I'll see her out walking by herself, like she's waiting for someone. And she looks so fragile...and she helps me out sometimes, you know? She buys me a bowl of ramen, or bandages a wound or something for me. And..I realized that I want to protect her. Does that sound stupid?"

Wow. Sakura had no idea that Naruto could be this serious. Especially about a girl. Sakura smiled. "No. It doesn't sound stupid at all." He grinned. "Hey waitress! Another bowl of ramen, please!" UGH. '_It's amazing how he can go from being so sweet and mature to so MORONIC AND IMMATURE! ARGH!' _Inner Sakura ranted onwards. Sakura stood and left her share of the bill on the table. "I'll see you tomorrow at the clearing. 3 o'clock. Don't be late."

He waited until Sakura had gone before whooping loudly and sending the whole restaurant into a frenzy and getting kicked out. "WOOHOO!"

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**Author's Note: **W00t. I went to this anime store the other day and got a Naruto pillow. It's so soft and squishy and I can hug all the characters whilst I sleep. Booyah. Anyways. Review. Or else I'll lock you in a dark room with a hormonally crazed Lee. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha. ...Er...yeah.


	3. Sinner

**Author's Note: **Lol, I just love reading reviews. Yes, **Aemkea**, I probably will threaten people to review every chapter. It's just so entertaining.In fact, I think I'll make that a permanent trademark of this story.And thanks for the compliments. n.n Yes, and as for Neji's resentment for Lee, heh heh, let's just say I have plans. And as for the whole NejixSakuxSasu thing, I have that planned out as well. But I won't give anything away. You'll just have to read on. I've already got chapters 3-5 planned out and 10 others behind those that I'm plotting out. My goal is to make this story addicting. And, if no one has noticed, Sakura is one of my favorite characters so I tend to go from her POV a lot. I need to squish more of Sasuke's POV in there to please the Sasuke fans, but don't worry, he'll have a bigger part later. The story right now has to focus on other characters first.Oh, and if this turns into a sappy love story, which it's not supposed to be, slap me with a fish. Well, it sort of is a love story, hence the catagory 'Romance', but not a sappy one. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** All things affiliated with Naruto belong to Kishimoto-san. Except for the plot. This is my plot. Do you hear? MY PLOT!

**Ama no Kagerou**

_**The Glimmer of Heaven**_

**Chapter 3 - Sinner**

No. No way. This was not possible. This could not be happening. She was. So. Screwed. Tenten screwed up her face as she stared at the little plastic stick in her hand. She felt like barfing again. She couldn't believe it. She thought she'd been more careful, but apparently not careful enough. '_Breathe, Tenten. Just calm down and breathe. What to do? Who can I talk to?' _ Definitely had to be a female.

Lee would understand, would be way overjoyed when she told him. Things might even get a little creepy. But that was Lee. But everyone else, well...she knew exactly what everyone else would say and think. Slut. Whore. There had to be someone she could tell besides Lee. She had to tell Lee, but she needed someone else to confide in. Preferably someone female. Unfortunately, she'd never been close to any females. The only friends she really had were her former teammates. Or rather, just Lee.

Tenten looked down again at the home pregnancy test in her hand. Positive. Shit. This was not good. Who the hell would know exactly what to do and keep quiet about it? She felt nauseated again just thinking about it. She'd been barfing the last several days, and had decided to confirm her fears. Unfortunately, they were not unfounded. And in a few months, she was going to be bloated. People were only going to buy the story that she'd gone donut-happy for so long. And then there was the issue of what she was going to do once the baby was born.

She scanned over her list of options in her mind, running through all the females she knew. Hinata was a sweety, but she knew that Neji would be able to pry anything out of her. Ino? NO. She had the biggest mouth on the planet. Couldn't hold her tongue to save her life. No way in hell she'd tell Tsunade-sama. She didn't really know who else she could tell. Then it hit her. Sakura! The girl was intelligent, she'd understand the gravity of the situation, _and_ she was a _healer_. Tenten didn't know whether she'd ever delivered or not, but she was pretty sure Sakura would be able to help her when the time came. Her secret would be safe, since Sakura barely knew Neji, and he'd never talk to her voluntarily anyway.

Okay. That was settled. She'd tell Sakura everything and then she'd tell Lee. Oh joy. That should be a relatively calm occasion. Not. Of course, once she told Lee, he'd insist that they marry immediatelyto spare the child bastardhood. Tenten didn't know if she was ready for marriage or not, but to protect this child she'd do anything. There was only one teensy weensy problem. Not that big of a deal really.

She didn't know who the baby's father was.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Naruto was psyched. Sakura had promised to help him win over Hinata. He didn't know how he was going to do it. He could impress her with his ninjustsus and all his tricks, but somehow he didn't think that was enough. Oh well. That was what Sakura was for. Leave the technical stuff to her. He'd just be himself. Only a little less obnoxious. Whatever that meant.

He was waltzing by the hospital where Sakura was working outside with her patients today, when he thought he saw a flash of black out of the corner of his eye. Pulling out a kunai and a couple of shuriken, Naruto tiptoed among the trees until he reached the spot under which the black blob was concealed. Scaling the tree next to the black figure's Naruto leaned over to get a closer look, nearly falling out of the tree and causing a big ruckus.

Naruto nearly choked on his oxygen supply when he saw who it was. It was Sasuke, sitting in a tree as usual, but he was staring. Barely blinking. Naruto blinked and looked in the direction in which Sasuke was staring. This time Naruto really did fall out of the tree. Sasuke had apparently been watching Sakura. From a tree. Hidden in the shadows. Creepy. Was he becoming another Lee or something? Jeez. Sakura had enough stalkers.

And even more oddly, Sasuke hadn't seemed to have heard Naruto crashing against every branch as he fell out of the tree. Right. So he was creepy _and_ deaf now. Great. Naruto got a wicked idea. An evil smile curled its way around his face as he formulated his plan. _Revenge!_ Heh heh heh. He'd get that Sasuke-bastard back for all the times he'd humiliated him in front of everyone.

Glad he'd found his enemies weakness, Naruto cackled silently and positioned himself under Sasuke's tree. Waiting until Sakura had gone inside, Naruto sucked in a deep breath. "HEY SASUKE!" "ACK!" This time it was Sasuke who fell out of the tree. Yes, the great Uchiha had actually fallen out of one of his beloved trees. And now he was pissed. "What the hell, Naruto?"

Naruto finally gave voice to his cackling. So he cackled and pointed at Sasuke, clutching a stitch in his side from laughing so hard. "I knew it!" He wheezed. "You do like her, don't you?" He laughed harder. "Oh how the mighty have fallen!" He was on the ground now, pounding it with his fist. Sasuke's expression grew dark. "What are you talking about, dobe?" Naruto snorted. "Don't act like you don't know. I saw you up there, staring at Sakura with stars in your eyes. Sasuke-bastard's in love! Awwwwwww!" Sasuke resisted the urge to rearrange the fox-boy's face. "Clueless as usual, Uzumaki." He stalked off.

Naruto only laughed harder, wheezing. Who was Sasuke kidding? Life was becoming more amusing by the minute. He had to get going though. It was 2:30 and he had to meet Sakura at 3. Always time for an extra bowl of ramen though.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Sakura sat in the VIP breakroom munching on a fattening but incredibly delicious piece of devil's fudge chocolate cake. Sinfully good, she thought as she swallowed another forkful. She thought back to earlier when she'd taken the patients outside for air. She couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her. It had made her distinctly uneasy.

There was a knock on the door, and Natsumi popped her head in. "You're just immensely popular this week, aren't you?" "Huh?" Natsumi giggled. Sakura had her mouth full of cake. "You've got another visitor. Some girl who wears her hair in buns. Says she needs to talk to you. Shall I send her in?" WIth some effort, Sakura swallowed a rather large piece of cake. First Lee, now Tenten? What the crap was going on? Maybe she should start an advice column in the Konoha times or something.

"Yeah, tell her to come in." She hastily wiped the chocolate off her face. Tenten came in, looking decidedly pale. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in concern. The girl did not look good. Was she really that depressed over the break up with Hyuuga? Why should she be? "Cake?" Tenten shook her head violently, her face taking on a green tinge. "You don't look so good. Anything I can help with?"

Tenten sighed. "That's what I'm hoping. Sakura, I've got a...problem." Pushing the rest of her cake aside, Sakura reached over and felt Tenten's forehead. No fever. "I'm not sick...well, I am sorta, but not a fever sort of sick. I mean..." She looked distinctly uncomfortable now, as if she were trying to say something but really didn't want to. '_De_ep_ breaths, Tenten. Deep breaths. She can help you. Just tell her._'

"Okay. Sakura? Can I tell you something? This has to b_e _kept in complete confidence. You cannot tell _anyone_." Sakura's eyebrows shot up. What could be so important that Tenten had to come to her to say? Something she couldn't even tell Lee? She had to hear this one. "I uh..um...this is not easy for me to..." Sakura waited patiently. This was obviously a very foreign and uncomfortable topic for Tenten.

"I'm pregnant."

Sakura stared at her in shock. Now that she hadn't been expecting. Yeah, there were a couple telltale signs she should have noticed, but since she rarely ever saw Tenten, she wasn't prone to suspecting such things. After all,those signs could be confused for the symptoms of something else,for example the stomach flu. But now that she looked closely, she could see the dark circles under Tenten's eyes and she did look as though she'd lost a bit of weight. Probably from morning sickness.

"Sakura?" She snapped out of her reverie when she heard the sound of her name. "Yeah?" Tenten looked worried now. "You can't tell Lee or Neji. I mean, I know you wouldn't tell Neji or anything, but you can't let anything slip to Lee. Or anyone else. If anyone else finds out, they'll tell Neji. He can't know." Sakura wanted to hug the girl. She didn't deserve this. Even if she did cheat on Neji and leave him for Lee, she didn't deserve this. "Yeah, he'd kill Lee wouldn't he?" Tenten bit her lip. "Actually...I don't know who the father is. Listen, I've got to go. Please don't tell **anyone**. I'll let everyone know when I'm ready." "Sure. No problem." She smiled weakly. "Thanks." And she left.

Oh dear God. Sakura sat back in her chair. Tenten was pregnant and she didn't know if the father was Neji or Lee. In the first place, Sakura didn't want to know that Lee was an option as father. That was just kind of gross. Then again, Hyuuga wasn't the fatherly type. Either way, Tenten was in quite a predicament. With a jolt, Sakura remembered that she'd promised Lee that she'd talk to Hyuuga. She'd have to be careful not to let anything slip. The Hyuuga could see everything with those eyes of his. Sakura looked up at the clock. "Dammit!" She was late for her meeting with Naruto.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Later that evening, Sakura was tramping through the woods, looking for a certain clearing. Lee had given her directions to their secret sparring place. He said that was most likely where she'd find Neji. So here she was, lost in the flea bitten woods, searching for a guy that plainly did **not** want to be found. Growling in frustration, she crashed through the underbrush, not caring how much noise she made. Surely the Hyuuga would figure that if someone was sneaking up on him, they'd do it quietly, and hopefully he wouldn't hurl any sharp metal flying objects at any moving objects.

Suddenly she was jerked upwards by her collar. She screeched and swung her leg around, trying to kick her attacker. Obviously to no avail, as it was Hyuuga Neji himself who had caught her. Didn't look like he was going to let go anytime soon either. "What are you doing here?" He growled. "Oh, you know, just taking a stroll through the woods. Looking for flowers, little furry woodland creatures. Stuff like that." He jerked her again. "Not funny, Haruno." She scowled. "Hey, that hurts, you know. You can't just go grabbing people in the middle of nowhere."

"You also don't go stalking after people when they obviously want to be alone." She blushed shamefacedly. "Yeah, well. I had a reason." "And I would dearly love to hear it. After you leave." He set her down roughly. She harumphed and adjusted her collar. "Well sorry to disappoint you, Hyuuga, but I'm not leaving." He arched an eyebow. "Is that so?" "Yeah, it is." She folded her arms across her chest. "Well. What do you want? You wanted so badly to see me, how could I deny you my pleasant company?" Boy, was he sarcastic. Somebody was bitter.

"I have a bone to pick with you." Now it was Neji's turn to fold his arms. "Oh really? What bone would that be?" "The way you're treating Tenten and Lee. It's despicable. You--" He turned away. "Hey, I'm talking to you." "I don't want to hear it." She stared hard at his back. "Running away?" He stopped cold. He turned slowly, and Sakura broke out in a cold sweat. Shit. How could she have forgotten the Hyuuga pride? Well, she was screwed now.

His face was completely blank, as though she'd said nothing out of the ordinary. But under the surface he was boiling. "Are you accusing me of being a coward?" His voice was soft, deadly. Dangerous. Sakura took a step back. Once again she'd put her foot in her mouth. But time to step up. "Maybe. Maybe you are a coward.All you do is hide behind these trees and the walls of your estate. You won't even talk to Lee or Tenten. All they want is your blessing, but you're sitting in your big fancy mansion sulking."

Okay. **Now** she knew she'd gone too far. His face was blanker than ever, his eyes shuttered any rage he was harboring. But Sakura knew he was livid. And she was going to die. But he merely turned his back on her and walked off. "Sorry. But not all of us are emotional weaklings. If they want a blessing, they'll have to go somewhere else to get it." Then, faster than she could blink, he was behind her, fingers tightening around her neck. He whispered in her ear, almost seductively. "If you ever call me a coward again, Haruno..."

And he was gone.

Sakura fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Massaging her neck, she could still feel the sensation of his fingers burning there. It was a wonder she was still alive. Insulting Hyuuga Neji was like handing him a death wish. And she had the feeling that she had come very close to having that wish granted. Better try a different approach next time. Woah..wait. Next time? Who said anything about next time? She'd promised Lee she'd talk to him, not convert him to the religion that was Gai. She was not obligated to speak to him again.

But she was going to anyway, because she was pissed. She was not going to let him just walk away. Oh no. If Lord Hyuuga Neji thought he was through with her, he had another thing coming. He was going to get an earful of what Haruno Sakura had to say. She'd be damned if he didn't. But first she had to find her way out of this stupid forest than no sane person would enter alone. Unless you were Neji. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Uchiha Sasuke glared and randomly hurled a kunai and the picture of his former team that he'd pinned to the wall with shuriken and kunai. Every one of the photo's occupants was covered by some kind of weaponry. But at the moment, the side that showed a certain Uzumaki Naruto was completely covered over. Growling and finding no other target at which to hurl sharp, pointy objects, he got up and paced his bare room.

That buffoon. Any louder he would have attracted the attention of the whole hospitalNot that he cared. He had only been trying to get a little privacy in an uninhabited tree. It just happened to be conveniently located outside the Konoha Hospital. Wait, "convenienlty located"? What was at the hospital that was supposed to be convenient? Nothing. Nothing was there. He threw another kunai behind him and didn't stop to pause to see where it landed. In the middle of a certain kunoichi's face.

He did NOT have a problem. He had not been watching her. Had not been thinking about her. So why was he thinking about her now? Why the fuck did he care? He didn't. She was weak and meant nothing to him. If she was stronger he might have considered. But all females were weak. That's why he despised their species. Couldn't stand them. Couldn't _under_stand them.

He couldn't understand why he was constantly thinking about her. Constantly plotting to be injured, so she would heal him and he could be close to her. Stupid. It was hormones. That's all it was. He was a teenager. This was natural. And it was only natural because he'd known her so long. There was nothing else to it. Now if he could just convince Naruto as well as he'd convinced himself.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Under the lid of the Hyuuga estate, Neji was boiling. He'd never been so insulted, except perhaps by two people whose names he would not even deign to think. That insolent female. How dare she call him a coward? And sulking? He did **NOT** sulk. He had merely been thinking over the mistakes he had made in choosing to allow his former teammates to get close enough to hurt him. A mistake he would not make again.

And as for Haruno, if he ever caught her alone, he would make sure she understood exactly what kind of retribution her impulsive, reckless insults warranted. If she thought she would be let off the hook with a mere warning, she was wrong. Dead wrong. And of course she would have sided with those traitors. One of them belonged to her species. They stuck together in packs. She would pay for that mistake as well.

After point blank refusing to come down for dinner, Neji stormed around his room, needing a way to vent his fury. If he broke anything his Uncle would be furious, but Neji was almost beyond caring. He wanted to rip that girl limb from limb. To show her what it was to insult a Hyuuga. Hmph.She would probably hide behind Lee and his ridiculous promise to protect her for all eternity. Pfft. Fool.

A wild, half-crazy idea started to form in his mind. Something he would never usually consider, something so out of character that it seemed preposterous he would even think of it. But that may have been exactly what the situation called for. He might even enjoy this.

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**Author's Note: **That's all for this chapter. More coming soon n.n Yes. Well. I've noticed that most of my reviewers seem to be NejiSaku fans. Well, I won't reveal anything, but I'll just tell you NejiSaku crazies that you're going to enjoy Chapter 5. But first you have to weather the evil Chapter 4. Mwa ha ha. Also, I'd like to point out that this will not be a straight-to-the-point romance. There will be plenty of circle going, confused characters, you'll see what I mean after I update chapter 5. And now it's time for **Aemkea's** favorite part of the whole story.

Review or else I won't lock you in a room with the bishounen / bishoujo of your choice. Except for Neji. Neji-kun is mine. You can have one of the 75 clones I made of him. Man. I want a Neji plushie. Now if you'll excuse me I must go to the evil Torture Camp they call "Band Camp". And it would just make my day if I came home to some lovely reviews. Winkwinknudgenudgeslapsyouwithafish. Tee hee.

One more thing. I must get this out. **MY FACE IS NUMB! AAAAAAAAAAAHH! **Yeah. Sorry. Had to get that out of my system. I had two cavities filled today. I can't feel my face. x.x'


	4. Fates of Fury

**Author's Note: **Patience younglings, patience. Alright. Since you want to know so bad, yes, this story will end up NejiSaku. But don't forget, there's a triangle. Anyway, the NejiSaku goodness begins in Chapter 5, as I said before. And to answer your question, **paccificgirl, **that's sort of the basic plot. But its more complicated than that. It's not really to make them jealous, it has more to do with inflicting pain on them. So ha. And I've come up with a new segment for this story so you can expect more than 15 chapters. Now let's all say w00t and be happy. As I said, the plot will start to unfurl in chapter five. So just hold your horses people. T.T Storymaking takes time. I've been in band camp for two weeks and I need rest _occassionally. _I hope you people know I've been writing most of this stuff at 5:30 in the morning. So yeah. Ph33r me. And yeah, this story's going to get pretty intense. I warned you it wouldn't be all fluffiness. Now let's review.

NejiSaku goodness**PLUS** Unfolding of plot**EQUALS**In chapter 5.

Okay? Good. One more thing. Caleb, I put Devil's Fudge so I wouldn't have to write that I don't own Devil's Food in the disclaimer. I'm trying to avoid brand name products. So if I want to come up with a band and call their CD "Trixter Jack-Joe-Jim Johansen Goes Disco", that's what I'll do and you shall not complain. Mwa ha. Now onwards to the Disclaimer, and then, The Story!

**Disclaimer: **-points finger at Kishimoto-san.- You see him? He owns Naruto and all the stuff that goes with it. Not me. Wah.

Hey, quick question. If I wrote an incredibly weird story with the even weirder pairing of Lee x Temari would you read it? o.O It would be humor, of course.

**Ama no Kagerou**

_**The Shimmer of Heaven**_

**Chapter 4 - Fates of Fury**

Tenten stuffed her fingers in her ears and scowled. She'd just broken the 'news' to Lee, and he'd proceeded to jump around, hollering like a maniac who'd just won the lottery. She was feeling sick again was wasn't in the mood for Lee's celebration. "Lee." No response. He continued to jump off the sides of buildings and scream out his joy, demanding that everyone join him in his over-the-top happiness. And of course there were rivers of tears of joy coursing down his face.

**"LEE."**

"Eh?" Tenten growled in exasperation. "Lee, I really don't feel good right now. Why don't you go enlighten Gai-sensei?" Excitement lit Lee's face. "That's a great idea! No! An _awesome _idea!" He pecked her on the cheek. Then he turned serious. "You go home and get some rest. We don't want anything to happen to the baby." Tenten bit her lip. "Lee, I don't know if this baby's yours or Neji's." Lee didn't look at all concerned. He just waved it off saying, "Well, whether's it's mine or Neji's, I'll take responsibility for the child. Even if it's Neji's I'll raise it as if it were my own." Tenten relented a small smile and he winked. "Don't worry about it. You go home and get some sleep. I'm going to see Gai-sensei now."

Tenten watched as he skipped off in a random direction, whistling some weird happy tune. Well, at least one of them had taken it well. Now all she had to do was tell Neji. She had been debating on the proper time to tell him, not that there was one. If he got one hint that the father might be Lee, he'd pound Lee into ground beef. And then where would they be?

Walking home now, the weapon's master groaned aloud. Sometimes she wished she'd never gotten herself into this mess, wished she'd just stayed away from men in the first place. Damn teenage hormones and puberty. Now she was stuck with an impending baby and was in the middle of two men. One of which was overly hyper and obsessive and the other which was arrogant, thick-headed and insanely jealous. Or at least Tenten thought that was the reason he wouldn't even look at her. Not that she'd tried to come up with any more. One million seemed a decent number to stop at.

As she walked down the street, Tenten passed the butcher shop, with its door and windows wide open, the smell of meat wafting out. And right into Tenten's nose. She gagged and covered her mouth with her hand. Oh crap. Damn she hated this morning sickness thing. She would almost gladly take the bloating in its place.

Oh, it was going to be a long day.

**------------------------------------------------------------**

"Neji-nii-san?"

Oh dear. Oh dear dear dear. Neji-nii-san was not going to be happy. Hinata paced up and down the hallway in front of Neji's door, biting her nails. He was still fuming about his 'traitorous best friends' and the confrontation with Sakura, about which Hinata nor anyone else had any idea. He was not going to be happy about this latest piece of news.

Hinata whimpered softly. She really didn't want to, but somebody had to tell her cousin before he found out from someone else. If that happened, Neji would go on a slaughtering rampage. Most people were surprised he hadn't already. Hinata was too absorbed in her panicky thoughts to notice Neji's door open and the prodigy himself step out. He didn't say a word, merely watched her frenzied pacing.

Without paying attention to her pacing path, Hinata smacked right into her cousin. She looked up and emitted a squeak. "Nii-san...um...I..I h-have somet-thing to tell you." She backed up a step. He could really be scary when he was in a bad mood. Hinata cringed and nearly started to hyperventilate. This was harder than she'd imagined. Of course, in her imagination she was walking boldly up to Neji's door and telling him in a strong confident voice. Not so.

Neji glared impatiently at his poor stuttering cousin. "What." He said it in a tone that suggested "I'll bite your head off if you don't spit it out because I'm a freaking genius so bow at my feet". She just had to suck it in and say it. And die afterwords. Either that or Neji would first of shock. Or anger. Whichever kicked in first.

"I'm seeing Naruto."

No stuttering. No hesitation. It came out, just as she'd fantasized. Hinata even smiled at her small accomplishment. The corner of Neji's mouth twitched slightly. But Hinata didn't care anymore. She'd told him, and if he had a problem with it, let him take it out on a training dummy. Neji may be a caged bird, but his protective wings were still suffocating. So she turned on her heel and left.

"Hinata."

She paused to look back. He shrugged and turned back to his room saying, "You could do better," before slamming the door shut. Hinata blinked in surprise. That was way calmer than she'd expected him to take it. In fact, unless she missed her guess, that was his twisted sort of approval. She giggled out loud before hastily running back down the hall to her room to celebrate. The hardest part was over.

**-----------------------------------------------------------**

Ah, lunch break. The most merciful part of the day. Or at least it was if you didn't have Naruto loudly singing your praises in your ear. Sakura groaned. For the millionth time today, Naruto was telling her what an awesome wonderful person she was, how she deserved whatever she wanted most in the world. Cute for a while, but now it was aggravating.

"If you're so happy that I helped get you and Hinata together, then why don't you go spend time with her?" The medic-nin gave up on trying to eat her lunch. It just wasn't possible. Naruto made a face. "She's telling Neji. Eck. Wouldn't want to be in her shoes right now..." Naruto continued to ramble, meanwhile Sakura was seething.

Hyuuga Neji. Just the thought of him pissed her off. Just who did the bastard think he was? Besides former Rookie of the Year, a genius, prodigy, ANBU Captain, and second best looking guy in Konoha apart from Uchiha Sasuke. Nope. Nothing special there. Okay fine. Maybe he had a couple reasons to be arrogant. But that still didn't excuse his behavior.

And how dare he threaten her! He had bruised her neck, and Sakura had had to smother them in makeup to keep them hidden. He obviously thought that just because he had money and an ancient bloodline that he was better than everyone else. Which of course he was, but Sakura wasn't going to admit that, now was she?

And that once again raised the same vexing, unanswerable question. Why, **_why_** had Tenten chosen Lee over Neji? But then, if _she_ had been the one who'd had to choose, Sakura wasn't so sure it was the easiest choice in the world. Pretentious arrogant perfectionist or the obsessive lunatic? Clearly it was a matter of looks and which personality you preferred.

"**HELLO!**"

Sakura choked on her pink lemonade. She'd completely forgotten about Naruto. The blonde shinobi was scowling at her. "Earth to Sakura, anybody in there? Geez, do you always have to space out on me? Am I that boring?" He pouted, fake tears filling his eyes. The kunoichi giggled. "Sorry, got a lot on my mind lately. So where're you taking Hinata on your first date?" She wore a mischeivous smile, as she knew Naruto feared the topic of dating.

"Uh...Ichiraku?" "**WRONG!**" Naruto managed to dodge the blow to the head, but sadly could not avoid the nasty right hook to the gut. Standing in self-righteous outrage, Sakura's eyes were on fire. "You do NOT, I repeat, NOT take a girl to a ramen shack for a first date. Really Naruto, you can't be that stupid. Even Lee knows better. He took Tenten to an elegant restaurant that serves top-rate cuisine." "But I'm broke!" He whined.

Sakura dug in her pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Here." She shoved it in his hand, his eyes widening in surprise. "Take her someplace nice. And dress decent too. Not in your shinobi get-up. Use your manners, even if they are rusty. Compliment her, girls like that. No belching. Open doors for her. Pull her chair out for her. Move heaven and earth for her, damn you!" Naruto slowly backed away. '_Talk about scary._' "Uh, why are you doing all this for me?" Sakura sighed and slowly sank back down in her chair. "'Cause I know it'll never happen to me, so this way at least Hinata will be happy. She deserves it."

Naruto frowned. "What makes you think it'll never happen to you?" His former teammate scoffed. "Please, Naruto. I'm a freaking third rate shinobi with no special skills, I'm loud, bossy, obsessive, and let's not even talk about my ginormous forehead." She plunked said forehead down on the table. Naruto blinked. '_She kind of has a point, but..'_ "Pfft. Sakura, sometimes I think you're hopeless. You're the Godaime's apprentice, for Pete's sake, whoever Pete is. And you're like, the smartest girl ever. I don't think anybody's got pink hair like yours either. It's awesome. And if you haven't noticed, you're hot and the guys are constantly staring at you. I think somebody's self-esteem balloon needs some inflating. Yeesh."

Naruto grinned and held up a peace sign when she gave him a reluctant small smile. "Alright. I've done my responsibility as friend for the day. Later." He jumped out of his chair, tripped over it like a moron, and ran out of the room. Sakura laughed. She shoved the rest of her sandwich in her mouth and sobered up. She had serious things to think about. She was going to pay a visit to Hyuuga after work and she'd let him have a piece of her mind. She wouldn't let him get a word in.

**------------------------------------------------------------------**

Ha. She'd found him.

Nine o'clock. It had taken her three hours, but at least she'd found that stupid reclusive Hyuuga. And surprisingly it was in a tiny little coffee shop whose entrance was hidden in an alleyway. Sakura could see at once exactly why Neji liked this place. The walls were black. The floor was black. And the coffee was black. Typical of him to haunt dark and depressing places.

She'd hidden her hair up as best she could under a black bandana, so no one would recognize her. Not that she knew anyone in here anyway. Slinking across the back wall, she approached the table at which the loner was sitting. He appeared to be bored out of his mind. Gee. What a nice way to spend life.

"Your stealth skills are even worse than Naruto's, Haruno." Sakura froze. '_Shit. Damn Byakuugan._' She cursed the Hyuugas and their bloodline ability at that moment. She'd wanted to make a sort of dramatic entrance where she would rain down accusations upon the Hyuuga and he would fall at her feet weeping and begging forgiveness. Ah me, such unrealistic expectations the poor girl had.

Ah well, cover blown. Might as well covort with the enemy for a while. She plopped herself ungracefully in the chair across from Neji and stared hard at him. He was unfazed. "Do you thrive off of stalking me? Have you decided to forget about Uchiha and mark me as the next target of your obsessive propensities?"

The kunoichi flushed angrily. She hadn't even said a word yet and already he'd insulted her twice. This was **not** going the way she'd planned. Stiffening, she folded her hands in her lap and prepared to deliver her fire and brimstone speech that she'd been working on for two days. All to be blown away by the stupid egotistical jerk sitting in front of her.

"I don't have time for your childish games, Haruno."

Sakura exploded. "Oh, but you have time to sit here and drink coffee, do you?" she shouted. In about 3.5 seconds she'd become the center of attention, and it was clear that the other patrons were annoyed with her outburst. Snapping her mouth shut, Inner Sakura woke up to berate her. '_Nice, Sakura. Let's play a game. How many times can he make a fool of you in ten minutes? The tally's already up to three._'

The Hyuuga prodigy smirked. He enjoyed making a fool of her, and she knew it. Oh, how she seethed. He took another sip of coffee before speaking again. "If I let you get this horrendous burden off your chest, will you leave me alone after that?" Sakura blinked. No. She would not rest until he'd learned a thing or two about manners.

She shot him a death glare, which he merely shrugged off. If he wasn't so hot she'd strangle him. Wait. No. Uh uh. Hot? No way. Not in her book. He did not compare, one iota, to Sasuke. Which was exactly why his eyes weren't having a weird effect on her that made her want to blush and hide under a rock. Nope.

"And if I say no?" He shrugged again. "Then I'll merely have to take steps to eradicate the problem." Alright. Sakura'd had about enough now. She was tired of his cocky attitude and the masculinity radiating off of him. He was going to get the speech whether he liked it or not. Grinding her teeth in resolve, she looked him straight in the eye.

"I don't care if you're the richest person in Konoha. I don't care if you have an IQ of 340 and can perform any and all jutsus. And I certainly don't give a damn about your stuck up 'I'm better than you' attitude. You owe them an apology, and you-- Don't you look away when I'm talking to you! You're a selfish, heartless bastard, I don't care how many times you've heard it because it's the truth. You know exactly who I'm talking about so don't even try to feign ignorance.

"They've made their apologies. They're both torn up with guilt, but sometimes these things happen. What happened to your 'Oh, that's just Fate. I can't change that' attitude? It's not enough for you is it? It's not enough to see them torturing themselves over it. Want more do you want from them? They can't turn back time. They can't fix it. What's done is done, so get over it and stop making them pay for what was probably your mistake anyway."

He continued to stare at her, his expression fathomless. Sakura was shaking from rage now, her emerald eyes smoldering with righteous fury. And yet not a muscle twitched, he barely even blinked. Dammit, if he'd ignored even one word of that she'd maul him right then and there.

"Why do you care so much? It's not your problem."

"Because," she ground out, "they're my friends. And unlike you, I take care of my friends. I don't want to see either one of them under the stress and strain that you've been putting them through. Jeez, Hyuuga, clearly you don't even care that Tenten's pregnant and that it might be your child, how can you be that frigid?"

Sakura couldn't figure out for the life of her why Neji's body suddenly went totally rigid. For the first time she could see emotion in his eyes, and it wasn't pretty to look at. His face contorted with fury and it dawned on Sakura what she'd done. Clamping her hand over her mouth, her eyes widened in horror. '_Oh, please no. Please tell me I did not say that._'

Too late. The words were out and there was no taking them back. She'd accidentally betrayed Tenten's trust and she knew the weapons master would never forgive her for it. And Neji would never forgive Tenten, whether it was his baby or not. It was more the fact that it had been Sakura that had had to tell him And possibly Lee might never forgive her for hurting Tenten. She'd just screwed herself over.

Sakura didn't say a word or move as Neji threw his bill on the table and stormed from the coffee shop.

**-----------------------------------------------------**

Tenten sighed contentedly as she emerged from a nice hot shower. Wrapping a soft, fluffy robe around herself, she flopped down on the couch with a tub of ice cream and prepared to relax for the rest of the day. Rare was the chance that she got to do this, so she planned to take full advantage of Lee's "orders". She wouldn't worry about telling Neji today. She had at least another couple months to figure out how to tell him before it became extremely obvious.

It became obvious to her after a few seconds that she couldn't eat ice cream without a spoon, so she reluctantly ambled her way into the kitchen. "Spoon, spoon, spoon...Where the hell are they?" Pots, pans, and silverware clanged and crashed as she turned the kitchen upside down trying to find a clean spoon.

Subsequently, she didn't hear the crash of the door opening. A few seconds later a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Tenten screamed. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw it was Neji. He was in a black rage such as she had never seen him. Normally he was emotionless, which made his anger all the more terrifying.

Was this some kind of delayed reaction or something? Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn't keep stupid thoughts like these from flittering across her mind. He shoved her roughly away from him and turned away, hands folded tightly across his chest. Tenten knew Neji would never hit her, but he was so angry that she wasn't sure if his honor would hold him back now.

Massaging her aching shoulder, Tenten tried to gather up her courage. She'd never seen him like this and she didn't know what he'd do. First to find out what had made him so furious. "What the crap do you think you're doing barging in here and assaulting me? What'd I do now?" He didn't say anything for a minute. The next words he spoke were vicious and sharp, dripping with venom.

"Tell me why, exactly, I had to find out your impregnated condition from Haruno," he hissed.

The blood drained completely from Tenten's face and she swayed on her feet. Sakura. She'd told him. Her first reaction was shock. Her next, blind fury. '_That bitch!_' How dare she tell Neji about the baby! It wasn't her secret to tell. The next time she saw Sakura she'd mutiliate her for this betrayal.

He spun around, grabbing her by the color. "Is it mine or Lee's?" Tenten's fists clenched. "I don't know," she said tersely. That seemed to further enrage him. She'd wanted to tell him in her own time. She remembered specifically telling Sakura that she couldn't tell anybody, putting emphasis on Neji's name. It didn't even occur to Tenten that she might have told him unintentionally. It was all the same. She'd told him, she would be punished.

Without another word, Neji was gone. Once again he'd sent her world crashing down on her. But it would not be him who paid for it. Stalking into her bedroom to dig out her weapons, Tenten vowed revenge for Sakura's indiscretion.

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

Pregnant.

She was pregnant. Neji felt cold and numb. And, though his pride would not allow him to recognize it, hurt. He'd already convinced himself in his mind that it was Lee's little bastard. Now more than ever he desired retribution. There was no longer any doubt in his mind as to whether he hated them. The minute he'd heard of this pregnancy from Haruno, their fate had been sealed.

..Sakura..

He felt oddly grateful toward her for telling him. Otherwise he might not have found out until she was far gone with the child. It was easy to tell that she had not meant to divulge that information. She'd clearly been upset. But perhaps she could be of use to him. Obviously she didn't hate him, even if she did love to rant about his faults and supposed horrid deeds.

Maybe she didn't hate him, but before this whole sordid affair was over, he'd make sure she was on his side. And so it was that Neji instigated his plans of revenge by taking up a kunai.

**--------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note:** End seemed a bit OOC to me, oh freaking well. Sorry you guys had to wait so long. School started when I was just starting to write this chapter, plus I was exhausted from band camp. I originally intended for this chapter to just be a sort of boring filler chapter, guess not though. Heh. There was too many key points that needed to be put in this chapter. On another note, I have enabled anonymous reviewing, courtesy of Amy. I promise the goodness will start next chapter, so you won't have to wait too much longer. I'll try not to take so long, but my time's being eaten up by school and band. Now for my customary threatening review notice.

**Review or else I shall sic upon you my army of rabid shrews and moustaches.**


	5. Leave Me Bleeding

**Author's Note: **I'm really sorry about the delay guys. I'm having really bad writer's block. It's not that I can't think of what to write, I'm just extremely distracted by school and band and other things right now. I know I'm totally lousy, but just give me some time. It's not all sunshine over here. Anyways, here's the NejixSaku-ness you've been asking for. Oh, and by the way, at the beginning of this story I said that Sasuke would be OOC, well I've changed my mind. He's already been to Orochimaru and killed Itachi, blah blah blah, so now he's back from that picnic and surly as ever. Just grin and bear it. Mwa ha.

**Disclaimer: I no dot own Naruto.**

**Ama no Kagerou**

_**The Shimmer of Heaven**_

**Chapter 5 - Leave Me Bleeding**

Sakura stared at the blood oozing from a long gash. "A tooth pick, you say?" Looked more like a kunai wound to her. An _intentional_ kunai wound. Having undergone years of training with Tsunade-sensei and treating thousands of wounds caused by everything from shuriken to peanut butter jars, Sakura was pretty sure she'd know the difference. And _this_ particular piece was no "tooth pick" wound.

What was Hyuuga trying to pull?

"Hn."

"And exactly 'how' did you sustain this wound?" Inner Sakura rolled her eyes and snorted. '_Tooth pick my ass. He could have at least said senbon needle. But he specified tooth pick. What's he up to?'_ The medic-nin scowled and folded her arms across her chest as she met the Byakuugan master's gaze. The guy was totally deranged if he thought she was going to believe his bull crap excuse for a story. Or maybe he was testing her. Despite all past experiences pointing to the latter, Sakura for some reason chose to go with the former.

"I tripped."

"_That_ is an insult to my intelligence. Even a moron like Naruto couldn't do that with a toothpick if he tried. I wouldn't believe that was caused by a tooth pick if I were drunk." Neji smirked inwardly. Clearly the girl was not stupid. He would have been disappointed if she'd believed him. Her body may be physically weak, but her mind was as sharp as a blade.

"How I sustained it is not important. Are you going to heal it or not?" Now it was Neji's turn to fold his arms across his chest, gingerly of course. And thus began the battle of wills, each trying to stare the other down. Of course, Byakuugan eyes will always have the advantage, since they tend to creep the opponent out. But the kunoichi was determined. Suffice to say, the staring contest would have gone on for ages and ages had Sakura not decided enough was enough and turned away.

"I could...but I won't."

The Hyuuga's eyebrow arched. "Hm. What's this, a failure to help an injured shinobi? I believe that's called insubordination, Haruno. I'm sure Tsunade-sama will want to hear about this." Emerald eyes glinted dangerously. "Are you threatening me?" Neji allowed a soft chuckle. "Wouldn't dream of it." Sakura snorted. "Do it yourself. Or are you telling me you can't wrap a measley bandage?"

The smirk disappeared from the ANBU's face at the jab at his pride. Sakura continued, "Jeez, even the kids in the Academy can bandage their own scratches. Are you that disabled?" Neji reigned in a retort. He wasn't here to argue. So he gritted his teeth and pretended that the chit in front of him hadn't just poked holes in his ego.

"What will it take to get you to just heal this wound before it festers? I have things to do, Haruno." Sakura scowled. "I personally don't give a damn about what you have to do. We can stand here all day arguing over this asinine scratch, I don't care. But I'm not going to heal a damn thing when you come in here and insult my intelligence like that."

Right about now the Hyuuga wanted to throw his arms up and scream in exasperation. He was starting to agree with Shikamaru, women were too damn troublesome. What happened to the feminine motherly instincts that should have arisen the instant she'd seen the blood? Did she not care that at this very moment bacteria was swarming into the wound (which by the way _was_ self-inflicted, not that he'd ever admit it), infecting it? Apparently not. Fine then. He'd just have to resort to underhanded tactics.

He let out a sigh of frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. Seemingly almost without meaning to he mumbled, "You'd do it in a heartbeat if I were Uchiha." It was barely perceptible, but Sakura heard it. She froze. "What.Did.You.Say?" Anger flared in the kunoichi's eyes. Pearly white met emerald. "You heard me." Sakura's hands balled into fists. "Just because I was obssessed with him before doesn't mean I am now. People change, although apparently you're an exception. You're the same stupid jerk you always were!"

She yanked a roll of gauze from of her pouches, seized his wrist, and roughly began to wrap the wound. Neji winced inwardly. Tight. He'd upset her more than he'd meant to, but he'd seen her eyes when he'd mentioned _his_ name. He'd seen the tears she'd banished almost instantly. He knew that Uchiha refused to talk with her, any contact with her at all. Neji knew that her heart was still attached. He'd probably go to Hell for being such a manipulative bastard, but he would have his revenge. And he needed her for that.

It only took a few seconds to bandage the wound, and the instant she'd finished Sakura jerked his wrist away and turned from him. Tears burned in her eyes. She couldn't believe the lengths that jackass would go to hurt people and get what he wanted. "There. Now get out. You said you had things to do, well so do I." She started to walk out the door when her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled roughly back.

Neji spun her around so she was on the other side of him and away from the door. He swiftly shut the door and turned the lock, then turned around to face a livid Sakura. "What in hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed. He didn't answer immediately, in fact he took a moment to stare at her, as though appraising her.

"I have a deal for you, Haruno."

Sakura spluttered. "A deal? What on earth could possibly serve as an incentive for me to make ANY deal with you, Hyuuga?" There was that smirk again, implying that he had exactly the incentive she could want. He raised a hand to silence her protests and demands. "All in due time. But first I think you should know what it is you're signing yourself to when you make this deal."

A very confused expression found its way to Sakura's face. "And what makes you think I'd agree right away, much less at all?" Neji inhaled. "Because, Haruno, I know for a fact that you will agree instantly when you hear what it is I'm offering you." She looked skeptical. "Alright, I'll listen. I'm not saying I'll agree to anything, but you might as well fill me in."

Neji shook his head. "Now what!" She yelled. Neji pierced her with his gaze, his expression dead serious. "You have to agree to the deal first, or I reveal nothing." The medic-nin stamped her foot. "Are you telling me I have to sign on to this without knowing what it is I'm getting in return? Forget it, Hyuuga, nothing could tempt me to play that big a fool."

Neji took a step closer, his menacing form towering over her. Sakura gulped. He was really tall when he was this close. "I expect you to agree to this deal without knowing what you'll get in return because I'm offering you nothing less than your greatest desire." His white eyes blazed with insistence, and Sakura felt as though she were being drawn into them. They were incredibly hypnotic, and she felt as though she were drunk. Her greatest desire? What did he think she was, a silly little girl filled with romantic dreams of her first time with an incredibly handsome boy, safe and loved in his arms? Pfft, he had anot--

Sakura gasped and the blood drained from her face as she finally realized what he was referring to. How he could offer that, she had no idea. But if he could do it...if he could give her what she'd wanted for years...The air clogged in her lungs, and the world spun underneath her. Strong arms caught her and held her while she tried to regain her composure.

"I'll do it," she rasped out.

Neji actually smiled in relief. Excellent. He hadn't wanted to have to it the hard way. He'd rather have her willing cooperation. "Good. And this little bargain, stays between us. Understand?" She nodded weakly. He lowered her into a chair and began to pace the room. She didn't look up as he began to speak.

"This plan is simple, and will benefit the both of us...**IF** you hold up your end of the bargain." Sakura smiled bitterly. "Just tell me what you want." "All you have to do...is be my girlfriend." Sakura had already been shocked enough for one day, and thought she'd been shocked shockless, but apparently Neji had one more in store for her today.

"Your..WHAT?" Her head snapped up, meeting the Hyuuga's frank stare. "My girlfriend." The pink-haired femme sat there dumbfounded. THIS was his BRILLIANT, oh-so-simple plan! Neji rolled his eyes. "Wake up, Haruno. Lee may love **her**, but his affections for you never receded. It will eat him alive inside, seeing you with me. And as for **her**, hmph...she's not completely gone on Lee." The smirk had returned, but it now had an eerie quality to it.

"So..." Sakura was shaking now, whether from anger, fear, or some other emotion Neji couldn't tell. "...so this is all some stupid plot to get your revenge? Tch. And now you've dragged me into it. You're lower than scum. I know it hurts to be abandoned. Don't I know it better than anybody? I know what it feels like to want to lash out, to want to hurt as badly as has been done to you. But if he'd left me for someone else, I would be HAPPY for him. I would be HAPPY that he'd found someone to love him as much as I did and he loved her as much in return. But NEVER would I ever try to hurt him for it. But obviously you can't just be happy for them. They're supposed to be your best friends, no matter what, but you can't be happy for the one scrap of happiness they've found."

Neji's eyes and expression grew colder than the harshest blizzard. "Hn. And there's the difference between us in a nutshell. You're too weak and accept anything anyone throws at you. If you want something you have to be strong enough to take it. I'm just taking what I want. But I'm being generous. I could blackmail you or threaten you into doing this, but I'm offering you what you want the most. And don't deny it." She glared daggers at him. "And what, exactly, is it that I want most? Since you seem to know me so well," she spat.

"When this is all over, I'll hand you Uchiha Sasuke on a silver platter."

Sakura stared at the floor dismally. True, that was what she wanted most. Even after all Sasuke had said and done, she still couldn't free her heart from him. But did she really want it so bad as to gain it at the price of her friends' happiness? Not that she had a choice any longer. She'd already made the deal. She had to go along with Neji and his bitter, spiteful vengence.

"And exactly how do you plan on doing that?" Her lip curled in a sneer. "You needn't worry about the details. Just keep your part of the bargain, and I'll keep mine." The kunoichi snorted in disgust. "That would require trusting you, and I could never trust anyone who wanted to hurt his friends as badly as you do."

"Well then," he conceded a derisive smile, "you'll just have to come to terms with that, now won't you? Now enough of your whining,we've got business to discuss. If we're going to carry on this charade, it has to look and feel real to everyone. You might as well get used to the facade you're going to start wearing from now on. We wouldn't want you to make a slip in front of anybody, would we?"

The sun was setting and filled the room with an eerie blood red glow. Sakura shivered, whether from the decrease in temperature or the company she didn't know. "No," she muttered, still staring at the floor. "Good." Neji moved to stand in front of the window, the light from the dying bathing him in its bloody aura.

Sakura stood on shaky legs, moving in the direction of the door. "Are we done yet? I want to go home." Neji crossed the room in two strides, blocking the door before she could reach it yet again. Seizing her wrists, he pushed her against the wall, pinning her there. The girl blanched and her eyes widened in horror. He wasn't going to do what she thought he was going to do...was he? The glint in his eyes proved her suspicions correct.

Without warning, his mouth came slashing down on hers, asserting his strength and masculine superiority over hers. It was decidedly the most violent kiss she'd ever shared in her life, and Sakura tried as hard as she could to fight him. He hadn't given her time, however, to attempt to erect any defenses, and what pathetic ones she tried to raise were crashed through instantly. His mouth was hot and demanding on hers, the pressure painful but not enough to break her teeth.

The blood rushed from her head, and what little resistance she had was gone. The last coherent thought in her head questioned how in the world Tenten could have given this up for Lee. Seconds later she was kissing him back, asserting her own pressure. Her body sagged against his, and he took the opportunity to release her wrists and wrap his well-muscled limbs around her torso. Her own arms instinctively curled around his neck to hold him to her.

The room had suddenly become far too hot, and Sakura's head swam as she drowned in the sensation. With a shock, she realized that Neji's tongue was demanding access to her mouth, and without thinking she opened for him. It became a contest of domination between them. A groan escaped her throat, inciting a smirk from her partner.

She had to get her head back. She was doing this to get Sasuke. Not for Neji's kisses. Even though this was the most intense thing she'd ever felt, and every time she took a breath she saw those hypnotic, captivating Byakuugan eyes and drowned in them. Even though she was pressed up against a wall with her body wrapped around his an a most provocative position.

She was still fraternizing with a bastard who cared for nothing but his revenge...she forbid herself from thinking how that sounded so familiar. She sunk her nails into his flesh and pushed away. He didn't try to reach for her as she pushed him away and launched herself toward the other end of the room. She refused to look at him and sank into a corner, harsh, dry sobs emitting from her.

"Tomorrow. Be ready."

With a click of the doorknob, he was gone.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note:** Guys, I am so sorry about taking so long. As I said, I'm having some serious issues and I just can't write anything right now. I'll try to get chapter 6 up as soon as possible, I'll tell you that it involves Neji and Sakura parading around in front of the village and whatnot and Neji takes Sakura to meet Hiashi (dun dun dun). And of course Tenten's and Lee's reactions. Oh, the agony. Ah well. Since I'm in the suckiest mood I've ever been in in my life, I'm not going to threaten you to review, but I will ask you nicely, because I've got almost 900 hits on this story, and people, with 30 reviews that's pretty bad. I know you can do better than that. So please review? To give me some self-confidence?


	6. Bloodfall

**Author's Note:** Yes, yes, yes. Another delayed update. And I really am sorry. I know you want to dump me in a lake of manure right now, and I don't blame you. All I can say is, thank you to my loyal fans who've stuck with me, and welcome to the fic to my newer reviewers.

Now to get down to the nitty gritty stuff. We've discovered that Neji's an arrogant ass. We've discovered that Sakura's willing to hurt other people to get Sasuke. Gee, what a joyful world they live in,ne? Ah well. No one said this fic was going to be a happy-go-sunshine story.

Also, I would like to thank **The Gandhara **for your constructive criticism. I am aware that my writing's bumpy. That last chapter was especially hard to write, no idea why. As for the whole Lee and the possibility of the baby being Neji's thing, I'm trying to keep the characters as in character as possible, but I may slip up once in a while, so you'll have to forgive me for that. And since this contingency never occurs in the manga as far as I know, we can't really say how Lee would handle the situation. So this is just my take. As for the whole Naru x Hina thing, I'm a big fan of that couple but sadly this fic focuses far more on the whole LeexTenxNejixSakuxSasu pentagon. And if you want to be picky, this whole thing is just a coverup for a NejixSaku fic. So that's my focus. Naruto and Hinata are sort of the lightness in what will be a dark emotional fic. I hope that clears everything up. And I will try to remember to start new paragraphs for different charac. speech. Thanks again. n.n

**Ama no Kagerou**

_**The Shimmer of Heaven**_

**Chapter 6 - Bloodfall**

Darkness.

The life of Uchiha Sasuke had always been blanketed by darkness. After the destruction of his clan, the death of his hated brother, and his escape from Orochimaru's grasp, Sasuke had begun to think that there were no more surprises in life. Therefore, when he was rudely awakened by the raucus banging of a hysterical Uzumaki Naruto at his door, he was most displeased to find that life could still one-up him.

Standing in his doorway at 7:24 A.M. in only a pair of sweatpants with a scowl marring his handsome face, Sasuke was hard put to understand the ravings spewing from a livid blonde ninja's mouth. Sleep's fog had not yet cleared from his brain, and even though Naruto had been going on for some time, Sasuke hadn't grasped a single word he'd said. When the blonde boy paused to take a much-needed breath, Sasuke butted in.

"What the hell are you going on about, dobe?" He folded his arms across his chest, the bored expression and scowl never leaving his face. He didn't see what could be so important that Naruto had had to disturb his much-needed sleep on one of the precious few days that he didn't have any missions going on and his fangirls were nowhere to be found. At the moment.

"Sakura!"

The blonde gasped, his eyes wide and stricken. He was panting, rather like Kiba after a hard training session. The Uchiha raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at his teammate's antics. Frustrated that Sasuke wasn't getting the point, Naruto forcibly grabbed his friend by the shoulders and shook him hard.

"Teme, don't you get it?! Sakura! She's...!"

Naruto chose that point to run out of energy and collapsed in a pathetic heap at Sasuke's feet. A sweatdrop appeared at the side of the teen's face. "Dobe," he muttered, before dragging the poor stunned Naruto in by the feet. Unsuprisingly, the only thing that seemed to revive him was a steaming bowl of ramen in front of his face. The kyuubi-container's eyes popped open immediately, sensing the bane of his existence. Without warning, his body sprung to life and garbled down the orgasmic joy that was miso ramen.

A twitch had formed in Sasuke's right eye. The idiot had been here nearly twenty minutes now and still had not explained himself. Had something happened to their roseatte-haired teammate? Not that he cared. He was Uchiha Sasuke, and Uchiha Sasuke cared about no one and nothing with the exception of himself. And a stuffed moose named Wilkins, but that's a can of worms best not opened. He just wanted Naruto gone so he could go back to enjoying his beauty sleep (trust me, you do NOT want to see a bishie without his beauty sleep).

Finally, after consuming Sasuke's entire hidden stash of ramen, Naruto was ready to reveal what had driven him with such haste over to his teammate's house. For once he was composed, even managing to look somber. Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned back in his chair and appeared to be assessing his rival and friend.

"Will you get on with it already? What's wrong with her?" Sasuke ground out through clenched teeth. '_This news had better make up for him eating all 12 packs of my ramen stash._' He continued to glower at his friend. Naruto, however, took no notice.

"She's going out with Neji."

No change of expression. No movement. No reaction whatsoever from the Uchiha heir.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

"No."

"But we have to save her!"

Sasuke chuckled darkly. "What's so funny?" The blonde demanded, glaring fiercly at him.

"It's Hyuuga I feel sorry for."

"Fine then. If you won't help me, I'll get Dog Brows to help me save her." Naruto stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him as he exited the Uchiha compound. The raven-haired nin sat unmoving for a few moments. He made no move to clean up the twelve empty bowls left in the wake of Naruto. Nor did he get up to go back to bed. He just sat there, staring at and thinking about nothing in particular. Or so it would seem to anyone watching him, even with intensity.

And then his right eye exploded with spasms of angry twitching.

**----------------------------------------------------------------**

Stupid. Reckless. Impulsive. Fool.

Sakura lay face down on her bed where she'd thrown herself the previous night and hadn't moved from since. After she finally convinced her body to move itself, she reluctantly dragged herself into the kitchen to make a scalding cup of tea. She avoided mirrors for fear of breaking them. And with good reason. Her hair was tousled and tangled, her eye makeup had run horribly from the hours of crying she'd done, dark circles lined her eyes, and she was pale enough to rival Sasuke. She stared dazedly at the wall and every so often very unladylike curses would erupt from her mouth.

What in the world had she done? There was no way that Sasuke was worth this humiliation. What in the world had gotten into her? She KNEW she was better than this. She had betrayed her friends because she had been so damn selfish. And now she was stuck pretending to be Hyuuga Neji's girlfriend. Once she would have cherished and gushed over that title. Now it just sounded dark and sinsister. Sakura groaned and let her head fall to the table.

"Ow..." Partially coming to her senses, she looked up at the pink plastic clock hanging above her stove. It currently read 11:37 A.M. Shit. She was supposed to meet Neji at..when was it again? Oh hell, it didn't matter, she was probably late anyway. He could stand to wait a few extra minutes if he wanted her bright and cheerful. Ha. Like that was going to happen.

After a nice, steaming, rather overly long shower, Sakura threw on a white skirt, a light green halter top, and a pair of plain white sandals. It was her day off after all. No way was she going to go traipsing around in her ninja gear. That happened to be sweaty and dirty and unwashed as of yet. Lazy bum, that Sakura.

The young kunoichi stepped out of her apartment and into the bright sunshine. She squinted and hissed like a vampire exposed to the rising sun's rays. Grumbling, she made her way to the coffee shop where she had confronted Neji. And there he was, in all his dark, forboding glory. Damn him for being so not ugly. And manipulative. And probably smarter than she ever would be. She was very sorely tempted to accidentally spill a cup of his beloved coffee on him. Not like he would see it coming. Nah. Neji, see something like that coming? No, never. Blast him.

Taking a seat across from the seemingly serene Byakuugan master, Sakura smiled pleasantly.

"I don't like you."

Neji chuckled. How childish of her. "And good morning to you too. Or should I say good afternoon? You're late." Sakura mumbled an incoherent reply. Her companion's mouth twitched in amusement. Her hair fell over her face, casting shadows over her disgruntled visage. Funny, Neji thought, it almost made her look attractive. "What did you say? I didn't quite catch that."

Sakura looked up at him with an dazzling, sweet smile and venom in her eyes.

"I said, 'I had to spend a little extra time on my appearance this morning so I could please you, _darling_.'" She batted her eyes to add to the affect. Had Neji been anyone else he would have been running fast and far away for his life. But unfortunately for Neji, he did not know the warning signs of Sakura's rage. Poor, poor Neji.

"Hmph. Well, perhaps you ought to spend a bit _more_ time on your appearance. You look like you've been out drinking all night, _dear._" He poured two creams into his coffee, a dash of sugar, and stirred. Sakura stored that away in her memory, for when she would pour it all over his luxurious brown hair (how the hell did he get it that smooth and straight anyway? He had no right!). Oh, how she relished the thought.

"Well, _baby_, I've got a lot of _stress_ in my life lately and maybe I needed it. I'm just _so glad_ I've got someone as _supportive_ and _loving_ as you to help me through it," Sakura purred, wrapping her lips around the straw in her recently-brought frappacino. Her eyes bored into his, and their little staring contest continued for quite sometime until Neji finally sat back and smirked, closing his eyes. She was a feisty one.

"So glad I could be here to help. Maybe a stroll through the village would help to calm your nerves." The ANBU captain reached over and touched a few strands of her bubblegum hair, twirling it around his fingers. Sakura looked livid and ready to use her monstrous strength to knock him to Hokage Tower. He merely raised an eyebrow in warning and unleashed a devastatingly sexy smile on her. His hand moved from her hair to her chin, pulling her face closer to him.

Warning bells blared in the medic-nin's head. '_No...no...no! Uh uh! No way! Not after what he did to me yesterday! I don't think so!_' Inner Sakura, however, was yelling something entirely different in her head. Something that had nothing to do with refusing, and everything to do with having her way with him. On the edge of panic now, Sakura struggled to escape without appearing to do so, but his hand held her fast, and she wasn't going anywhere.

His lips brushed hers, and she could feel it again. That wild adrenaline rush in her veins that she fought desperately to supress. That tension in her stomach that had nothing to do with hunger. At least not for food. At least he was a gentleman and wasn't using his tongue, that would be rather awkward in the middle of the coffee shop. She was afraid of what she would do if he did. He knew how to do things to her that she didn't know how to handle, and consequently made her crave them more. Then his lips were gone and he still had that ridiculously sexy smile on his face. Damn him.

Neji was fully aware of the effect he was having on the poor girl. Either that or she was just a really good actress. But he doubted she could fake that. She wanted it, no matter how much she tried to deny and supress it. Pulling some money out of his wallet, he laid it on the table and stood. He held out his hand to help Sakura up, and the poor girl was still too dazed to be hostile. Thus it was that they walked hand-in-hand out of the coffee shop, leaving the other patrons to a fresh, particularly juicy piece of gossip.

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They were _staring_. And Sakura hated it when people stared. Neji hadn't let go of her hand since he'd taken it, and she was sure he wasn't going to let go until it fell off. She knew exactly what he was doing. He was showing them off to the village, making sure every one of them would talk. They all knew of the Hyuuga clan, and of the scandal that currently covered Neji's name, even of the pregnancy (thanks to Lee, to whom the word discretion meant nothing). And now they had a front row seat to the latest happenings. Sakura felt rather like some kind of circus attraction. She could hear their whispers and see their eyes rounding as the gossip spread like wildfire. This was why she liked being a ninja. Being a ninja meant secrecy and inconspicuousness, NOT being the latest topic of grocery store gossip.

Groaning inwardly, Sakura fixed the ooey-gooey lovey-dovey smile that had accidentally slipped off her face. Neji was wearing a similar smile, only it was more masculine and casual. And beneath that, though Sakura couldn't see it due to their height difference, was a layer of self-satisfaction. His plan was going off flawlessly so far. He was a bit worried about how Sakura might handle herself in front of the rest of the Hyuuga clan (he had yet to inform her that the Hyuuga compound was their final destination), but he reassured himself that she could handle herself in any situation. After all, she wanted Uchiha bad enough to go along with his plan. So Neji figured that she'd at least put up a good act.

So far she'd acted the part of lovestruck teenager perfectly. But at the same time she wasn't clingy or annoying, instead she was calm and looked serene. At least to the onlookers gawking at them. Neji, however, could see right through her plastic smile to the layers of frustration and sarcasm underneath. He wasn't complaining, though. He felt Sakura tug at his sleeve.

"Neji, darling, would you mind if we sat down somewhere for a moment? In _private_?" Sakura ground her teeth. She wanted out of this crowd of gawking morons. Now. Unfortunately, neither Fate nor Neji wanted to cooperate with her. There were way too many people surrounding them for the couple to escape to a more remote location (at least without using some kick-ass ninja skills), and it seemed to Sakura that the crowd had increased in number in the past few minutes. And, oddly enough, most of them seemed to be more intent on watching her and Neji rather than shopping.

Neji glanced down at his "girlfriend". "Sorry, honey, but we're in a bit of a hurry right now." He hid his smirk from Sakura, knowing she might lose her cool and introduce him to her right hook. Neji had promised Hiashi that he would get to meet his latest "lady friend", and he'd rather not have his face covered in purple bruises when he got there. So they made their way through the throng of curious onlookers, with Sakura not even realizing that they were headed in the direction of the Hyuuga compound.

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This was stupid. What the fuck was he doing? Sasuke moved silently across the rooftops, following the "enamored" couple. He wasn't _stalking_ them, he was just looking out for the well-being of his female teammate. Neji was a guy, and guys only wanted one thing. And every time Sasuke thought about Neji getting that one thing from Sakura, he wanted to beat something, whose name was Neji, into an unrecognizable bloody pulp. And Sasuke knew that Neji wouldn't get into another relationship so soon after his disastrous fall-out with Tenten and Lee unless he had some kind of sinister, hidden agenda up his sleeve. Sasuke intended to discover and expose Neji's evil plot before he seduced Sakura to the dark side.

And that's all it was. He just didn't want to see her get hurt. Or deflowered.

Right.

Of course.

"DAMMIT!"

This was so screwed up. He didn't really care about her. She was just sort of a friend slash teammate that he'd known since the Academy years. No matter that she'd grown and matured into a beautiful young woman that every single male in Konoha wanted to date. He was just looking out for her like an older brother would. Except that no older brother ever had these kind of thoughts about his younger sister. ARGH. No! He did NOT think of her that way.

Which was why his insides _didn't_ twist painfully when he saw her smiling up at the Hyuuga, why he _didn't_ feel furiously angry whenever she pressed closer to him. Sasuke conveniently forgot that they were surrounded by a giant crowd. This was ridiculous. He was going to go find Naruto for a sparring match, and not think about Sakura and her new beau for the rest of the day. Which was how long he intended that sparring match to last.

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Sakura was absolutely livid. She was currently sitting in an exquisetly beautiful room in the Hyuuga main branch complex, but she was in too foul a mood to admire it. She was furious at Neji for dragging her along and showing her off like a circus freak AND for not telling her she was going to be shown in front of his family like a piece of livestock. She was furious with herself for getting into this whole stupid mess. And now that she knew that she was going to be meeting the exalted head of the Hyuuga clean, she REALLY wished she'd worn something nicer and done more with her hair. She felt dirty and unworthy of being in this house.

After satisfying herself by shooting Neji several extremely dirty looks, she tried to compose herself as much as possible. It wasn't really working though, as her nerves were frayed and she was frantic to make a good impression in front of Lord Hiashi. Neji watched her efforts with some amusement. He didn't blame her for being angry, he'd expected it. But he knew he'd be paying for it afterward.

Lord Hiashi entered and studied the pair. Neji appeared as stoic and calm as ever, and the girl held herself with poise and dignity. At least she looked more feminine than Neji's teammate.

"Welcome, Sakura-san. I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long. Have you found the tea to your liking?" They were all curteous and routine questions, but Sakura knew that every minute of this visit she was being tested over even the most trivial things. She would have to be extremely careful here, she was surrounded by people who lived and breathed etiquette. This was one of those times that she thanked the Academy with all her heart and soul that they'd had classes just for girls teaching them about this kind of thing.

"Hai, Hiashi-sama, the tea is delicious. And we haven't been waiting long at all." She wore a demure smile now, going over every single thing she'd learned about being female and living in an upper class world. Over the next hour Lord Hiashi asked her questions about everything from her interests to her family to her training habits to her apprenticeship with Tsunade. On and on the interrogation went until Sakura was pretty sure that the man had a neverending list of questions up his sleeve. She wished she had the Byakuugan so she could tell. But she kept a straight face and answered each one of his questions with patience and impeccable grammar. Thank you, big brain. Then, finally, he finished.

"Well, you are a very impressive young lady. I can see you and Neji will make a very fine couple. Just let me know before you start discussing marriage. And now I must take my leave. And Neji, don't neglect your training just because you've caught spring fever. Good day to both of you." With that, Lord Hyuuga left them alone. A few moments passed, neither of them moving an inch. Then, out of nowhere...

**BAM**.

"**MARRIAGE?!?!?"**

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**End of Chapter 6. Which took entirely too long. Yay.**


	7. Girlfriend

-1**Author's Note: Love to all of my beautiful reviewers! Well, fans, I have a problem. Stupid evil Sasuke is worming his way back into my affections. So once again, I no longer know who Sakura's going to end up with in the end. Maybe I'll write alternate endings. The problem is I think I'd have to rewrite several chapters b/c I already have the next 10 chapters planned out. Not written, mind you, just planned out. Ha. I wish they were already written. Anyway, I've injected a little more humor into this piece than I'd originally intended, but I just can't get away from it. And I know Sasuke is really OOC in that last chapter, but I just couldn't resist. Jealous Sasuke is so much fun to write. And by the way, the title of this chapter was NOT inspired by Avril Lavigne's song, thank you very much.**

**POLL: ****So…I'm MAYBE considering writing a lemon or two for this story, possibly NejiSaku and/or SasuSaku, but that's a BIG maybe. Let me know what you guys think.**

**Disclaimer: **Do I look like Kishimoto-san to you? I didn't think so. Which means I don't own Naruto or anything affiliated with it. You should know better.

**Ama no Kagerou**

_**The Shimmer of Heaven**_

**Chapter 7 - Girlfriend**

Tenten…well, there was no word to describe just how angry Tenten was. First, Neji had come charging into her apartment only to tell her that Sakura had broken her trust and told Neji about her pregnancy. But THIS…THIS was beyond what Tenten could ever have imagined Sakura doing. She just couldn't understand it. She hadn't even known that Neji and Sakura knew one another very well, much less had intimate feelings for one another.

What was Sakura thinking, dating Neji? And as for Neji…wasn't he still furious at her and Lee? What in the seven levels of Hell was going on!?! Tenten growled to herself. The world must have gone mad, starting with her and Lee. Pretty soon she'd be in a nuthouse.

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Ino was beyond flabbergasted when Shikamaru broke the news to her of Sakura and Neji's relationship. Her face turned a funny shade of purplish red before she exploded in a rant that sent everyone within a 4 block radius running.

"SAKURA DID _WHAT_!?!?! SHE'S DATING _WHO_!?!? BUT WHAT ABOUT SASUKE?! SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH HIM! AND NOW SHE'S DATING HYUUGA NEJI!?!? WHY DIDN'T SHE SAY ANYTHING?! THAT LITTLE WHORE, I'M GONNA KILL HER!"

And so it continued on like that for another 10 minutes before Ino finally ran out of breath and paused. To the immense relief of everyone else, Shikamaru stuck a shiny silver piece of duct tape over Ino's mouth, using his chakra so she couldn't peel it off. Chouji snorted into his bag of potato chips.

Poor Shikamaru's eardrums would never be the same.

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Hinata squeaked in surprise when she saw Neji and Sakura walking hand in hand down the hall of the Hyuuga compound. Ducking around a corner so as not to be seen by them, her brain worked furiously. What in the world were Neji-nii-san and Sakura-chan doing _holding hands_ of all things?

Hinata watched as the couple went into one of the sitting rooms where her father normally visited with guests and knew immediately what was going on. Neji had brought Tenten to the same room to meet with Lord Hiashi when they'd first started dating.

But when the heck had they gotten together? Neji and Tenten had only officially broken up three days ago! He was technically still on the rebound! There was no way Sakura didn't know that. Hinata was worried. What was Neji thinking? She knew he was still horribly angry at his teammates and that he was hell-bent on hurting them. But what did that have to do with Sakura-chan? Very anxious now, Hinata made an escape back to her room.

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"I am so retarded," Sakura sighed. She was alone with piles of paperwork in Tsunade's office, and she was intensely glad for it. It was official. Everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY, now knew that she was dating Neji. There wasn't a person in this village that hadn't asked her about it. And she was so tired of spouting the same lies over and over again. So for once, she didn't complain about the paperwork.

What Sakura was really afraid of right now was running into either Tenten or Lee. Mostly Tenten, because Lee wouldn't be out for her blood. But she still didn't want to see the disappointment and hurt in Lee's eyes. She was pretty sure that if she did, she would break down and tell them everything. And then Neji would kill her. What a wonderful scenario that would be.

It was funny, but when she was a genin she'd wished she was older and stronger and wiser, and now that she was she just wished she could be a genin again so life wouldn't be this complicated. Sakura knew better than to think that Sasuke would be jealous, but she still wondered if he even cared just a little bit about her dating one of his rivals. What if he got really angry at her and never spoke to her again? Or rather, never said "Hn" to her again. Because that would be such a devastating loss.

Maybe she should go visit the quarantine ward and pick up one of the extremely contagious diseases so she wouldn't have to go out to dinner with Neji tonight. After all, being a leper had to be better than dinner with her "boyfriend". Sakura giggled at the thought and stored that insult away for later.

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Lee, instead of being heart-breakingly disappointed at the news of Sakura and Neji's relationship, was ecstatically overjoyed at the news. What nobody saw but Tenten, however, was the sadness that flashed in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. He loved Tenten, yes, and he had given Sakura up because he had accepted that she would never love him as more than a friend; however…

He may have publicly claimed to have given up on Sakura, but his heart still thumped erratically whenever she came near. It had grown even worse over the years, as he had come to discover the beautiful, kind, caring kunoichi that she had become.

Lee pushed those thoughts aside and thought of his beloved fiancé, Tenten. Now there was a spitfire of a girl if he ever saw one. It wasn't that he didn't love her, far from it. She was the sun in his sky, the light in the darkness that was in his mind. Despite being an enthusiastic optimist, Lee didn't know how he would have gotten through some days without Tenten. The only problem was…

…He just didn't love her the way he loved Sakura.

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**Later in the Evening**

Neji stood in front of his mirror, surveying his appearance. He was only really vain about his hair, though he would never admit that to anybody. He and Sakura were having a dinner date in half an hour. He wasn't dressed to make an impression on Sakura, however, and she would know that. He was dressed to prove to Konoha that he was serious about his "courtship" of Sakura. He had proven it to his uncle, now he just needed their friends to believe it to.

The maids acknowledged his presence as he passed, heading out of the Hyuuga compound. He walked the long way to Sakura's apartment, knowing she would take half of forever to get ready. Speaking of Sakura…that girl was something else. She irritated him constantly, but she was incredibly attractive whenever she let her fiery temper get the better of her. Which, nowadays, was more often than not.

Neji dismissed his minor attraction to Sakura as teenage hormones. Sure, her hair was a beautiful and uncommon color, and her flashed the most stunning shade of jade when she was angry, and she had killer curves. But beauty faded. In a few years she'd be just as bland as the other women of Konoha.

As attractive as he found her, Neji was completely fascinated by her personality. If possible, she was even more stubborn than he was. She may occasionally give in to him, but he knew she was always plotting defiance in her mind. Even more vexing was her refusal to accept that his revenge was just. She just kept on insisting that he should forgive Lee and Tenten, when she very well knew he never could.

Neji mentally shook away the thoughts just as he arrived at Sakura's apartment. Upon knocking on her door, he heard a great crashing commotion inside. Neji rolled his eyes. Ditz. A moment later, the door opened and Sakura stumbled into his chest. He caught her before she could crash into the ground, catching a whiff of her shampoo. Funny, he wouldn't have thought of her as being a peony lover.

Sakura straightened herself, blushing madly. Well, obviously the rumors about Neji being completely ripped were absolutely true. She'd have to tell Ino later. She reached down and pulled the strap of her stiletto-ed heel over her ankle; what she'd been trying to do when she'd opened the door.

Neji's eyes bored into hers and she fidgeted. "Are you ready yet?" His voice was filled with impatience. Sakura blushed again, this time out of irritation. "Let me just grab my jacket," she mumbled. She stepped inside quickly to grab her black dress jacket, which matched well with her short, black strapless dress (the little Gucci dress, if you were a Spice Girls fan xD). She locked the door, and they began their walk to the restaurant.

Their walk through the village was short, as Sakura's apartment was located in the heart of Konoha due to its convenient proximity to the hospital. As they passed through the streets, people stopped and stared. It was hardly unexpected. Neji was incredibly handsome with his dark brown locks swinging freely behind him and an almost-smile on his stoic face. He looked gorgeous and intimidating in his white dress shirt and black slacks. His hitai-ate was still in place to hide the curse mark. Sakura herself looked stunning in her black dress with her carnation hair swept up into an elegant bun. Her dainty feet were clad in black stilettos and she had a silver chain bracelet adorning her wrist.

All in all, they made quite the picture strolling down the streets of Konoha.

A scarce ten minutes later, they had arrived at _La Feuille de Danse, _an extremely expensive restaurant located in the upper-class district in the heart of Konoha. Sakura sighed. Of course Neji would take her to the fanciest place he could Google. The Hyuuga clan probably owned plenty of stock in this place; Sakura recalled Neji telling her a couple of minutes ago how Hiashi-sama held all of his business dealings here.

The maitre d' greeted them cordially, showing the proper respect toward the Hyuuga and his companion. They were led to a booth situated dead center of the largest dining room they had. Sakura gritted her teeth. Of course Neji wouldn't want a private booth, he was showing them off. Fighting her growing irritation with her stupid gorgeous boyfriend, she sat down in the chair he'd pulled out for her.

The maitre d' handed them pristine embossed menus and bowed. "Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?" Neji looked at the back of the menu, considering.

"We'll take a bottle of your best wine, Hideki-san."

"Very good, sir. I'll bring it immediately." The maitre d' bowed again and hurried off to fetch the wine.

"Wine? Aren't we a little UNDERAGE to be drinking wine, Neji?" Sakura hissed. It wasn't the fact that they were underage that bothered her. What bothered her was the she had no tolerance for alcohol, and consequently would get drunk easily. She hated to think about what she would do if she were drunk, especially if she turned out to be anything like Lee and his Drunken Fist style. Neji just smirked.

"Relax, Sakura. We're shinobi. We could die tomorrow. Live a little." Neji sipped at the wine Hideki had just brought them, and held up his glass to her.

"To us?" He smirked.

Sakura glared. She was starting to hate that smirk. She chinked her glass with his and took the smallest sip possible. Why was it that impossibly beautiful men had to be such arrogant bastards? She honestly didn't understand it.

"You'll need to drink more than that, Sakura, or they'll think you're insulting their wine," Neji murmured.

Sakura glared murderously at him before taking a bigger sip. She just knew this stuff was going to go right to her head. A few minutes later, another waiter arrived to take their orders. Neji ordered a filet mignon, while Sakura chose the shrimp pasta with alfredo sauce. They were brought salad and fancy French bread and more wine than Sakura ever wanted to see in her life.

The food was rich and delicious and the wine made her heady. Neji was already attractive, dammit, and the wine was making it worse. Sakura squirmed uncomfortably in her velvet-cushioned chair. Inner Sakura, who was inebriated as well, was yelling at her to do things with Neji and the table that made her cheeks redden and her head spin.

Neji watched as the flush on Sakura's cheeks became more pronounced. She'd definitely had enough wine, he decided. He motioned to the waiter to take the remainder of the bottle away. When he returned, Neji handed him two hundred dollars for the meal and wine and told him to keep the change.

And now came the fun part.

Walking a drunken Sakura home.

Gods, she was a horrible drunk. Neji groaned mentally. Sakura was giggling and hiccupping and clinging to his arm like they were four. She kept rambling on and on about how ridiculously hot he was. Neji snickered to himself, he'd remember that for later. His snickering was abruptly cut off, however, when he was pushed up against a wall.

"Neji…" Sakura whimpered in a husky voice.

Oh. Shit. Mental note to self, Neji: NEVER let Sakura drink wine EVER again.

She was pouting sexily now, pressed flush up against him. Neji gulped. He'd never intended to explore the physical aspects of a relationship with Sakura, but right now it appeared Sakura had other plans in her inebriated state.

"Neji, why haven't you kissed me today?" She murmured, nibbling on his bottom lip.

Oh damn. Not good. Not good at all. And the stupid thing was, he wasn't pushing her away. He'd had a little more wine than was his usual limit, and between that and Sakura swiping her tongue across his bottom lip again, Neji was feeling light-headed. It was folly, but he reciprocated her kiss.

His hands gripping her upper arms, his mouth crashed on hers again, and this time it was HIS tongue at HER lips, pushing inside, tasting and exploring. His breathing was labored, and suddenly his clothes felt way too hot. Apparently Sakura was feeling the same way, because she was shedding her jacket.

He felt her arms slide around his neck, her body pressing harder against his. One of his hands was pulling her even closer at the small of her back, and they were exchanging moans. Tenten was screaming something at him, and Lee was standing there, looking for all the world as though someone had died.

Wait….what?!

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**And that, my friends, is a cliffhanger. Mwa ha ha. More NejiSaku-tastic-ness. But we shall also be seeing some SasuSaku loveliness soon. And the explosion of Tenten's head in the next chapter. Oh, by the way, **_La Feuille de Danse _**is French for "The Dancing Leaf". Or at least I think it is. I got if off of freetranslationsdotcom. Reviews make me want to update faster. So…and I can't believe I forgot this last chapter…**

**Review or else I'll lock you in a room with a Naruto who hasn't eaten ramen in seven months. 3**


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